Danone’s bottled water brand, Evian, is a leader in its category and one of the more recognizable labels.

That’s why the French-owned company has adjusted its strategy toward building loyalty with Canadian consumers and reinforcing Evian’s brand story – a shift it cemented through a partnership with the National Bank Open this year that echoes the brand’s larger ties to tennis on the global level.

“Evian has been activating in the tennis world for many years worldwide, at both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon,” explains Alexandra Latendresse, marketing director for Danone. “But not enough consumers know about the story of the brand and the superiority of our product. Activations like this help bring that awareness in a way more traditional media wouldn’t allow us to do.”

At this year’s event, Evian launched an experiential activation developed with Toronto creative agency Mint. The activation, called “Escape to the Alps,” offered Canadians a getaway in their own backyard with a full, sensorial experience that occupied a relatively small, 12-by-20 footprint.

The goal of the activation was to engage consumers, according to Ashley White, VP and partner at the agency.

“We believe if you’re able to immerse them in the world of your brand and get them fully encompassed in what your brand is – while also subtly informing them about your brand’s point of difference – that’s something that allows them to experience it on their own,” she adds. “You’re then able to strengthen the emotional connection with the consumer and the brand, and to deepen the loyalty that the consumer feels over a longer term.”

Through the use of mist machines, a fully customized sound bath, a mirrored floor designed to mimic a clean and crisp stream and environmental elements such as mountain peaks and fluffy clouds in Evian’s brand colours, the activation offered guests an escape from their day-to-day lives. It also provided a chance to see where Evian’s water is sourced, further reinforcing the notion of its product superiority.

Equally important, it met a demand on the part of consumers – more than 11,000 guests visited the activation from Aug. 5 to 13 – which made it “one of the most coveted experiences at the NBO over the course of the weekend,” White says.

“We’ve gone through several strange years, with COVID and people not wanting to gather and working from home. Life as we know it is really different right now,” she elaborates. “Consumers want to escape and experience things they haven’t experienced before, and to think and see things differently. We provided that for the audience and, I think, that’s something that really resonated on site.”

The brand made the activation a centrepiece of its larger efforts in market, explains Latendresse. It was supported by shopper elements – primarily, a contest that offered purchasers of Evian product the chance to enter for a paid trip to the Open – as well as OOH and digital marketing, including targeted promotions and advertising for people taking Uber to the Open itself.

And Canadians can expect to see further activations and marketing around tennis and specifically the event itself. This is only the first of several years that Evian is partnered with the event, she adds.